Safety & Risk Management Policies and Procedures Mold Policy and Procedure Safety & Risk Management Policies and Procedures

Transcription

1 Safety & Risk Management Policies and Procedures Title: Mold Policy Date: August 2013 Rationale: Mold is a common allergen and in certain cases where significant mold growth is uncontrolled and not remediated, could present potential health risks. Southwestern University created a policy and procedures for the identification, notification, assessment and cleaning of mold contamination. A significant component of this policy is designed to prevent mold contamination by proactive maintenance and response to water leaks/infiltration. Goals: To establish a program to help prevent, control or mitigate mold related building problems. Policy and Procedure: The Mold Policy covers the following: How to report and inspect mold contamination in campus spaces. Communication, training and team based approach to mold incidents. How to properly clean mold infected surfaces. A maintenance plan to prevent the sources of mold contamination (water/humidity/ventilation/leaks).

2 Reporting Mold Contamination & Water Intrusion Building occupants and Physical Plant staff should immediately report potential mold contamination to Physical Plant by issuing a work order request through School Dude. Reporting all water intrusion, high humidity, condensation problems is essential to early intervention and control. The campus community as a whole can help by reporting these conditions immediately. Inspection and Assessment Manager of Housekeeping or Manager of Mechanical Services will take the lead and coordinate services and ensure mold assessment and remediation are completed and documented in SchoolDude system. Effective communication and coordination from Lead Managers to other mold team members and the customer(s) impacted are essential to successfully manage a mold response. Physical Plant Administrative Assistant will send a copy of mold work order or an notice (same day) to Managers of P.P., Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management and A.V.P. for Facilities to alert them and raise awareness to a current mold issue. A team based approach should be used to inspect the area and determine the cause (source of water/moisture). Supervisor of Mechanical Services or Housekeeping should conduct on-site inspection depending on source. The mold assessment should consist of a visual inspection to determine the presence of mold, the scope of building materials involved, and most importantly, determine the most likely source that caused the mold growth. Results and scope should be documented in Schooldude. Control of the water/moisture source is the primary concern and should be addressed immediately by the appropriate Physical Plant Manager/Supervisor. The Lead Manager will contact the Director of Campus Safety for consultation if the scope approaches 25 contiguous square feet or occupant health related concerns are involved. Director of CS&RM along with AVP for Facilities will determine if the project is best outsourced to a mold remediation firm as a Texas Department of Health (TDH) regulated project. For TDH regulated mold projects, the Director of CS&RM will help to coordinate remediation project with mold remediation firm and mold consultant along with administrative support (PO/MOA/Invoice) from Physical Plant administration. A more comprehensive mold assessment may be conducted when site specific conditions and health concerns warrant. Air sampling for mold to facilitate an exposure assessment is limited to very specific conditions that may warrant analytical techniques and the significant resources it takes to conduct this type of assessment. Water Leaks (Flood) Building occupants and Physical Plant staff should immediately report water leaks/floods to Physical Plant by calling x1914 then follow-up by issuing a work order.

3 Administrative Assistant will send a copy of water leak/flood work order via schooldude messaging to Managers of P.P., Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management and A.V.P. for Facilities. Physical plant staff will quickly remove standing water and simultaneously assess water damaged materials when they respond to a water leak/flood call. Action must be taken within 24 hours to dry all affected materials in order to prevent mold contamination. This usually involves the use of water extractors, dehumidifiers and fans and/or the larger HEPA filtered air scrubbers (located in the 4 th floor FJS mechanical room). Surface Cleaning for Materials with Potential for Mold Growth A site specific mold remediation plan to properly clean-up, remove, or replace mold contaminated materials should be completed when warranted. The plan should be posted on site throughout the remediation project by the supervisor in charge. Staff involved in the remediation plan need to be informed and follow the specific details of the plan. Trained housekeeping staff will be used to clean and decontaminate materials/surfaces that do not involve material demolition (removal of wet/damaged sheetrock) for nonregulated projects (< 25 contiguous square feet per TDH Rule). Trained physical plant trades staff will be used for removal of water damaged materials (demolition) for non-regulated projects (< 25 contiguous square feet per TDH Rule) or to clean areas requiring the use of ladders. Southwestern University s Multidisciplinary Mold Team 1. Managers of Physical Plant (Mechanical Services and Housekeeping/Grounds) 2. HVAC Supervisor/Architectural Supervisor 3. Housekeeping Supervisor 4. Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management 5. Others as needed (Vendors) 6. Backup staff should be identified and trained to fill in when a team member is unavailable. *Towards the end of this document is a list of current team members and contact information. Regulations Mold assessment and remediation activities are regulated by the Texas Department of Health. A mold assessment (scope over 25 contiguous square feet ) should be conducted by a licensed mold assessment consultant. Mold remediation (scope over 25 contiguous square feet ) should be conducted by a licensed mold remediation contractor. Contact the Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management for assessment and coordination of a licensed mold contractor and consultant. Physical Plant Manager/Supervisor will provide logistical services and communications with campus customer (department) and arrange access.

4 Mold Contaminated Material Guide Non-porous surfaces: desks, furniture, doors/frames, window sills/frames, metal air vents, etc These items can usually be effectively cleaned/decontaminated. Semi-porous or porous items: carpets, fabric covered furniture, books, wood, etc. These items may be able to be cleaned/decontaminated satisfactorily, but may require special handling. Building materials: sheetrock walls/ceilings, ceiling tiles, fiberglass insulation. These items sometimes cannot be properly cleaned/decontaminated (unless they are coated, painted, sealed) and should generally be removed and replaced. General Mold Cleaning Process SOP (standard operating procedure) Safety and Personal Protective Equipment Wear safety glasses (goggles are preferred), latex or nitrile gloves, and N95 mask - 3M Model# Cleaning Process: First, clean all visible dust and visible mold debris with slightly damp disposable cloth using disinfectant cleaner (Sparquat 256) or use a HEPA vacuum pulling in one direction towards you. Do not re-contaminate objects with a dirty cloth. Use steri-wipe method after a few wipes fold cloth in half. In some cases where mold is thick or very dry, use special HEPA vacuum with attachment brush tool first, before wet cleaning to carefully and thoroughly clean dry mold contaminated surfaces (slowly pull vacuum brush over contaminated surfaces in one direction towards you). Second, disinfect all potentially contaminated surfaces with a clean disposable cloth damp with disinfectant (Sparquat 256 ) and allow disinfectant to sit on surfaces for 10 minutes. Change rags frequently! You can also spray mist Sparquat 256 directly on the surface, wait 10 minutes then use a dry cloth to wipe surface clean and dry. After 10 minutes, dry surfaces with a clean dry cloth or set up fans to dry surfaces. For some clean-up projects (> sq. ft) it may be prudent to set up a HEPA filtered air scrubber in the area to prevent mold migration (two air scrubbers are stored in FJS 4 th floor mechanical room). Maintenance Program Good preventive maintenance and housekeeping practices are at the core of our Mold management Plan and will help to maintain good indoor air quality in buildings. There are 3 basic steps: 1. Routine inspections Routine surveillance within Housekeeping Dept. along with a rapid response to water intrusion problems and/or signs of mold growth. All housekeeping staff should be surveying for water intrusion and mold growth as part of their routine cleaning tasks. Report all water intrusion and mold conditions through SchoolDude. 2. Implement preventative maintenance program on HVAC and associated materials that can be adversely affected. Keeping RH% at or below 60% will help to reduce the likelihood of mold growth due to high humidity levels. Maintain adequate outside

5 air intake and maintain temperature ranges within acceptable levels (avoid very warm or very cold conditions). 3. Managed housekeeping program with an emphasis on water reduction cleaning techniques & proper drying (fans & de-humidifiers). A housekeeping plan should be developed and implemented to reduce/eliminate wet carpet cleaning across campus. Wet carpet shampooing should not be conducted in buildings that have high humidity and recurring mold growth problems due to humidity and HVAC problems. These buildings include FJS, Mood, Cullen, and the Chapel. All wet cleaning procedures (floor cleaning/stripping/waxing) should include enhanced dry out techniques to quickly reduce high humidity levels and inhibit mold contamination. TIPS: 1. Try to avoid wet floor cleaning/stripping projects on rainy humid days. 2. Use spot cleaning rather than cleaning every week on schedule (clean only what is dirty). 3. Consider a steam cleaning process vs. wet carpet shampooing (reduces water by more than 80%). A HVAC routine preventative maintenance program should be developed and implemented to reduce or eliminate water leaks (many caused by condensation), clean coils, pans, drain lines, supply and return diffuser grills, change filters, & maintaining well sealed pipe insulation. PM services should be based on building specific needs and be documented when completed in School Dude. List of Mold Team Members Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management Michael DeLance Manager of Physical Plant: Shorty Schwartz Manger of Housekeeping/Grounds: Randy Erben Housekeeping Supervisor: Anita Drake HVAC/Trades Supervisors, Tom Williams Kenny Cervenka Others as needed Remediation Vendors: 1. Blackmon-Mooring Brain Calbeck (cell) or Dispatch SERVPRO of Hyde Park Cheryl Praytor (office) or Travis Benedict ( ). The call will roll over to an on-call person at night. Consultants o Terracon Ian Howes ian.howes@terracon.com o o Lauderdale Environmental Dave Williams - davewilliams.lee@yahoo.com o

6 MOLD RESPONSE PROTOCOL Normal Hours 1. Responder contacts Viola to issue immediate work order. 2. Viola provides immediate notification via SchoolDude to Director Campus Safety & Risk Management, AVP for Facilities, Managers of Physical Plant. 3. Lead person will develop a remediation plan on the day of incident. The following will be designated as lead person: HVAC source - Tom Williams. Hot water heater - Kenny Cervenka. Flood from rain, toilets, etc Kimbra Herring. 4. Lead person follows up and pulls in appropriate resources, other supervisors, communicates status and follows remediation plan to completion. 5. Lead person communicates and pre-reviews remediation plan and provides regular updates to Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management (prior to start of remediation). OFF HOURS 1. Responder (Supervisor) provides immediate notification via to team listed above. Upon return to work - Viola issues Schooldude work order. 2. Follow same steps above. PLEASE NOTE: A lead person is a PP Manager or delegated to a Supervisor. A remediation plan should be clearly communicated to all Supervisors and staff members involved. Assigned roles are critical to a successful project.

7 In cases where sheetrock or other materials are wet - Lead person (PP Manager/Supervisor)designates individual to conduct moisture monitoring and should be kept aware on moisture status. In cases where HVAC - AC is affected - it is important to repair the same day of incident (whenever feasible) and keep AC running along with immediate placement of fans or use of water extraction. REMINDER: we have two large commercial dehumidifiers, an air scrubber which can be used for HEPA filtration and mass ventilation, as well as the fans and water extractors. Thank you for your active role in preventing mold contamination/air quality issues to our facilities.

8 Date: Safety & Risk Management Policies and Procedures Approved (signature and date): Supervisor Director of Physical Plant AVP for Facilities Vice President for Fiscal Affairs If needed Copy: All supervisors Related crafts Department Heads VP s President

9 Safety & Risk Management Policies and Procedures Title: Mold Policy Date: August 2013 Rationale: Mold is a common allergen and in certain cases where significant mold growth is uncontrolled and not remediated, could present potential health risks. Southwestern University created a policy and procedures for the identification, notification, assessment and cleaning of mold contamination. A significant component of this policy is designed to prevent mold contamination by proactive maintenance and response to water leaks/infiltration. Goals: To establish a program to help prevent, control or mitigate mold related building problems. Policy and Procedure: The Mold Policy covers the following: How to report and inspect mold contamination in campus spaces. Communication, training and team based approach to mold incidents. How to properly clean mold infected surfaces. A maintenance plan to prevent the sources of mold contamination (water/humidity/ventilation/leaks).

10 Reporting Mold Contamination & Water Intrusion Building occupants and Physical Plant staff should immediately report potential mold contamination to Physical Plant by issuing a work order request through School Dude. Reporting all water intrusion, high humidity, condensation problems is essential to early intervention and control. The campus community as a whole can help by reporting these conditions immediately. Inspection and Assessment Manager of Housekeeping or Manager of Mechanical Services will take the lead and coordinate services and ensure mold assessment and remediation are completed and documented in SchoolDude system. Effective communication and coordination from Lead Managers to other mold team members and the customer(s) impacted are essential to successfully manage a mold response. Physical Plant Administrative Assistant will send a copy of mold work order or an notice (same day) to Managers of P.P., Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management and A.V.P. for Facilities to alert them and raise awareness to a current mold issue. A team based approach should be used to inspect the area and determine the cause (source of water/moisture). Supervisor of Mechanical Services or Housekeeping should conduct on-site inspection depending on source. The mold assessment should consist of a visual inspection to determine the presence of mold, the scope of building materials involved, and most importantly, determine the most likely source that caused the mold growth. Results and scope should be documented in Schooldude. Control of the water/moisture source is the primary concern and should be addressed immediately by the appropriate Physical Plant Manager/Supervisor. The Lead Manager will contact the Director of Campus Safety for consultation if the scope approaches 25 contiguous square feet or occupant health related concerns are involved. Director of CS&RM along with AVP for Facilities will determine if the project is best outsourced to a mold remediation firm as a Texas Department of Health (TDH) regulated project. For TDH regulated mold projects, the Director of CS&RM will help to coordinate remediation project with mold remediation firm and mold consultant along with administrative support (PO/MOA/Invoice) from Physical Plant administration. A more comprehensive mold assessment may be conducted when site specific conditions and health concerns warrant. Air sampling for mold to facilitate an exposure assessment is limited to very specific conditions that may warrant analytical techniques and the significant resources it takes to conduct this type of assessment. Water Leaks (Flood) Building occupants and Physical Plant staff should immediately report water leaks/floods to Physical Plant by calling x1914 then follow-up by issuing a work order.

11 Administrative Assistant will send a copy of water leak/flood work order via schooldude messaging to Managers of P.P., Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management and A.V.P. for Facilities. Physical plant staff will quickly remove standing water and simultaneously assess water damaged materials when they respond to a water leak/flood call. Action must be taken within 24 hours to dry all affected materials in order to prevent mold contamination. This usually involves the use of water extractors, dehumidifiers and fans and/or the larger HEPA filtered air scrubbers (located in the 4 th floor FJS mechanical room). Surface Cleaning for Materials with Potential for Mold Growth A site specific mold remediation plan to properly clean-up, remove, or replace mold contaminated materials should be completed when warranted. The plan should be posted on site throughout the remediation project by the supervisor in charge. Staff involved in the remediation plan need to be informed and follow the specific details of the plan. Trained housekeeping staff will be used to clean and decontaminate materials/surfaces that do not involve material demolition (removal of wet/damaged sheetrock) for nonregulated projects (< 25 contiguous square feet per TDH Rule). Trained physical plant trades staff will be used for removal of water damaged materials (demolition) for non-regulated projects (< 25 contiguous square feet per TDH Rule) or to clean areas requiring the use of ladders. Southwestern University s Multidisciplinary Mold Team 1. Managers of Physical Plant (Mechanical Services and Housekeeping/Grounds) 2. HVAC Supervisor/Architectural Supervisor 3. Housekeeping Supervisor 4. Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management 5. Others as needed (Vendors) 6. Backup staff should be identified and trained to fill in when a team member is unavailable. *Towards the end of this document is a list of current team members and contact information. Regulations Mold assessment and remediation activities are regulated by the Texas Department of Health. A mold assessment (scope over 25 contiguous square feet ) should be conducted by a licensed mold assessment consultant. Mold remediation (scope over 25 contiguous square feet ) should be conducted by a licensed mold remediation contractor. Contact the Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management for assessment and coordination of a licensed mold contractor and consultant. Physical Plant Manager/Supervisor will provide logistical services and communications with campus customer (department) and arrange access.

12 Mold Contaminated Material Guide Non-porous surfaces: desks, furniture, doors/frames, window sills/frames, metal air vents, etc These items can usually be effectively cleaned/decontaminated. Semi-porous or porous items: carpets, fabric covered furniture, books, wood, etc. These items may be able to be cleaned/decontaminated satisfactorily, but may require special handling. Building materials: sheetrock walls/ceilings, ceiling tiles, fiberglass insulation. These items sometimes cannot be properly cleaned/decontaminated (unless they are coated, painted, sealed) and should generally be removed and replaced. General Mold Cleaning Process SOP (standard operating procedure) Safety and Personal Protective Equipment Wear safety glasses (goggles are preferred), latex or nitrile gloves, and N95 mask - 3M Model# Cleaning Process: First, clean all visible dust and visible mold debris with slightly damp disposable cloth using disinfectant cleaner (Sparquat 256) or use a HEPA vacuum pulling in one direction towards you. Do not re-contaminate objects with a dirty cloth. Use steri-wipe method after a few wipes fold cloth in half. In some cases where mold is thick or very dry, use special HEPA vacuum with attachment brush tool first, before wet cleaning to carefully and thoroughly clean dry mold contaminated surfaces (slowly pull vacuum brush over contaminated surfaces in one direction towards you). Second, disinfect all potentially contaminated surfaces with a clean disposable cloth damp with disinfectant (Sparquat 256 ) and allow disinfectant to sit on surfaces for 10 minutes. Change rags frequently! You can also spray mist Sparquat 256 directly on the surface, wait 10 minutes then use a dry cloth to wipe surface clean and dry. After 10 minutes, dry surfaces with a clean dry cloth or set up fans to dry surfaces. For some clean-up projects (> sq. ft) it may be prudent to set up a HEPA filtered air scrubber in the area to prevent mold migration (two air scrubbers are stored in FJS 4 th floor mechanical room). Maintenance Program Good preventive maintenance and housekeeping practices are at the core of our Mold management Plan and will help to maintain good indoor air quality in buildings. There are 3 basic steps: 1. Routine inspections Routine surveillance within Housekeeping Dept. along with a rapid response to water intrusion problems and/or signs of mold growth. All housekeeping staff should be surveying for water intrusion and mold growth as part of their routine cleaning tasks. Report all water intrusion and mold conditions through SchoolDude. 2. Implement preventative maintenance program on HVAC and associated materials that can be adversely affected. Keeping RH% at or below 60% will help to reduce the likelihood of mold growth due to high humidity levels. Maintain adequate outside

13 air intake and maintain temperature ranges within acceptable levels (avoid very warm or very cold conditions). 3. Managed housekeeping program with an emphasis on water reduction cleaning techniques & proper drying (fans & de-humidifiers). A housekeeping plan should be developed and implemented to reduce/eliminate wet carpet cleaning across campus. Wet carpet shampooing should not be conducted in buildings that have high humidity and recurring mold growth problems due to humidity and HVAC problems. These buildings include FJS, Mood, Cullen, and the Chapel. All wet cleaning procedures (floor cleaning/stripping/waxing) should include enhanced dry out techniques to quickly reduce high humidity levels and inhibit mold contamination. TIPS: 1. Try to avoid wet floor cleaning/stripping projects on rainy humid days. 2. Use spot cleaning rather than cleaning every week on schedule (clean only what is dirty). 3. Consider a steam cleaning process vs. wet carpet shampooing (reduces water by more than 80%). A HVAC routine preventative maintenance program should be developed and implemented to reduce or eliminate water leaks (many caused by condensation), clean coils, pans, drain lines, supply and return diffuser grills, change filters, & maintaining well sealed pipe insulation. PM services should be based on building specific needs and be documented when completed in School Dude. List of Mold Team Members Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management Michael DeLance Manager of Physical Plant: Shorty Schwartz Manger of Housekeeping/Grounds: Randy Erben Housekeeping Supervisor: Anita Drake HVAC/Trades Supervisors, Tom Williams Kenny Cervenka Others as needed Remediation Vendors: 1. Blackmon-Mooring Brain Calbeck (cell) or Dispatch SERVPRO of Hyde Park Cheryl Praytor (office) or Travis Benedict ( ). The call will roll over to an on-call person at night. Consultants o Terracon Ian Howes ian.howes@terracon.com o o Lauderdale Environmental Dave Williams - davewilliams.lee@yahoo.com o

14 MOLD RESPONSE PROTOCOL Normal Hours 1. Responder contacts Viola to issue immediate work order. 2. Viola provides immediate notification via SchoolDude to Director Campus Safety & Risk Management, AVP for Facilities, Managers of Physical Plant. 3. Lead person will develop a remediation plan on the day of incident. The following will be designated as lead person: HVAC source - Tom Williams. Hot water heater - Kenny Cervenka. Flood from rain, toilets, etc Kimbra Herring. 4. Lead person follows up and pulls in appropriate resources, other supervisors, communicates status and follows remediation plan to completion. 5. Lead person communicates and pre-reviews remediation plan and provides regular updates to Director of Campus Safety & Risk Management (prior to start of remediation). OFF HOURS 1. Responder (Supervisor) provides immediate notification via to team listed above. Upon return to work - Viola issues Schooldude work order. 2. Follow same steps above. PLEASE NOTE: A lead person is a PP Manager or delegated to a Supervisor. A remediation plan should be clearly communicated to all Supervisors and staff members involved. Assigned roles are critical to a successful project.

15 In cases where sheetrock or other materials are wet - Lead person (PP Manager/Supervisor)designates individual to conduct moisture monitoring and should be kept aware on moisture status. In cases where HVAC - AC is affected - it is important to repair the same day of incident (whenever feasible) and keep AC running along with immediate placement of fans or use of water extraction. REMINDER: we have two large commercial dehumidifiers, an air scrubber which can be used for HEPA filtration and mass ventilation, as well as the fans and water extractors. Thank you for your active role in preventing mold contamination/air quality issues to our facilities.

16 Date: Safety & Risk Management Policies and Procedures Approved (signature and date): Supervisor Director of Physical Plant AVP for Facilities Vice President for Fiscal Affairs If needed Copy: All supervisors Related crafts Department Heads VP s President